PlantsVegetables & Roots
Kale
Brassica oleracea
Zone 6a garden plant. Hardy through a Chicago winter unless the note says to pot it.
Cold-tough green that sweetens after frost
EasyVegetables & RootsEdible
- Light
- Full sun–part shade
- Moisture
- Medium
- Mature size
- 1–2 ft
- Spacing
- 18 in
- Bloom or harvest
- Leaves Jun–Nov
- How it spreads
- Annual, often overwinters
- What to buy
- Transplant or direct sow.
- When to plant
- Set out in April, or sow indoors in March. A July sowing gives a fall crop.
In the design
Lacinato and curly types both handle a 6a winter with a light cover.
If you eat it
Leaves
Wash. Don't eat yellowed leaves from a diseased plant.
Only eat what you planted and can name. This is not a foraging or medical guide.
